By Tom Orsborn, Staff Writer | San Antonio Express-News (SAEN), 2026-06-16 13:00:02
2026年5月15日星期五，在明尼阿波利斯标靶中心进行的西部半决赛第六场第四节的一次暂停期间，圣安东尼奥马刺队的卡特·布莱恩特 (Carter Bryant)（11号）与同届新秀迪伦·哈珀 (Dylan Harper)（2号）拥抱，并与老将后卫达龙·福克斯 (De’Aaron Fox)（4号）一同走向替补席。马刺队以139-109击败明尼苏达森林狼队，晋级西部决赛对阵俄克拉荷马雷霆队。
迪伦·哈珀不会轻易忘记在麦迪逊广场花园进行的总决赛第三场开哨时的情景。
“麦迪逊广场花园震耳欲聋，”这位马刺新秀后卫在赛后说道，“你能想到的每一个纽约名流都在现场。你能想到的每一个世界级名人也都来了。每一个演员，每一个退役的职业球员都在这里。当你走上球场，你绝对会由衷地感叹：‘是的，我们做到了。’”
对哈珀而言，他不仅做到了，而且做得远不止于此。
凭借在季后赛前三轮中三场得分24+的亮眼表现，以及在西部半决赛中克服腹股沟伤势的坚韧，完全有理由认为，哈珀是马刺在总决赛中表现仅次于维克托·文班亚马 (Victor Wembanyama) 的第二好球员。
面对第三场麦迪逊广场花园的璀璨星光和传奇名宿，哈珀毫不怯场，砍下13分、全队最高的9个篮板以及4次助攻，帮助马刺以115-111险胜，而这也是马刺在该系列赛中取得的唯一一场胜利。
但哈珀最好的表现还在后面。在第四场106-107惜败的比赛中，他交出了21分、4个篮板和3次助攻的数据；紧接着在第五场90-94的失利中，他轰下全队最高的25分，外加5个篮板和4次助攻，而这场胜利也让尼克斯夺得了自1973年以来的首个总冠军。
这位20岁的新泽西小将在他的五场总决赛中，有四场得分至少达到15分，并成为自1980年的魔术师约翰逊 (Magic Johnson) 以来，首位在未满21岁时就在总决赛中连续砍下20+的球员。
毋庸置疑，这位2025年NBA选秀大会的榜眼秀不仅登上了这个最大的舞台，而且在上面大放异彩。
“我们正在见证一颗新星的诞生，”马刺前锋德文·瓦塞尔 (Devin Vassell) 说道。
尽管马刺还不能对他们去年选秀中的另一位新秀——首轮第14顺位秀卡特·布莱恩特下同样的结论，但这位前锋的前景同样不可限量。
20岁的布莱恩特在去年12月进入主教练米奇·约翰逊 (Mitch Johnson) 的轮换阵容后，在总决赛的每场比赛中都获得了关键的出场时间，预计他将在下个赛季扮演更重要的角色。
“为他们两个感到无比骄傲，”瓦塞尔说道。
哈珀在总决赛中场均贡献18.0分（在队内仅次于文班亚马的26.0分）、6.4个篮板和3.0次助攻。在整个季后赛期间，他场均得到14.1分、5.6个篮板和2.7次助攻；而在常规赛中，他场均得到11.8分、3.4个篮板和3.9次助攻，并成功入选最佳新秀阵容一阵。
“我们都知道他很有天赋，但除了他自己之外，我不知道是否还有人知道他竟然如此有才华，”瓦塞尔说，“他曾对自己的出场时间和所扮演的不同角色感到沮丧。但在我们最需要他的时候，他挺身而出。”
如果哈珀确实对不得不担任替补感到“沮丧”，他也从未在公开场合表现出来。在整个赛季中，他总是强调自己为能留在马刺而感到兴奋。
“我不想去其他任何地方，”哈珀说，“这就是我该待的地方。”
但随着哈珀在总决赛中的出色发挥，一些观察家认为，下赛季他很难再甘于在达龙·福克斯之后担任替补。受到第二轮遗留的脚踝酸痛困扰，这位全明星后卫在对阵尼克斯的系列赛中表现不佳，并在第四场比赛后期做出了几次值得商榷的决定，这在一定程度上决定了马刺的命运。
目前可以肯定的是，哈珀将带着在下赛季变得更强的决心进入休赛期。
“这就是让我走到今天这一步的最大原因，我就是不断地苦练、苦练、再苦练，”哈珀说道。
布莱恩特也是如此，他在季后赛中场均出场8.5分钟，得到2.6分和1.7个篮板；在常规赛中场均出场11.5分钟，得到4.2分和2.5个篮板。
“为他们两个感到无比骄傲。首先是卡特，从赛季初得不到出场时间，到被下放到发展联盟，再到如今在季后赛中登场并改变比赛、产生影响力，他只是在坚信这个过程，”瓦塞尔说，“他会成为一名特别的球员。我知道他有多努力。他会成为一名非常出色的防守者、进攻者，一名极其优秀的攻防一体球员。”
从来到球队的第一天起，布莱恩特就一直遵循着约翰逊和马刺传奇教练格雷格·波波维奇 (Gregg Popovich) 给他的建议。
“米奇教练和波波教练总是谈到‘篮球之神’，他们让我明白，只要你做正确的事情，把精力投入到正确的地方，篮球自然会给你回报，”布莱恩特说道。
这种“敲石头（Pound the Rock）”的精神帮助他逐步提升了自己的三分球投射、篮下终结能力以及防守。
布莱恩特的进步在哈珀意料之中。
“我从高一、高二时就认识他了，”哈珀说，“他是我认识的最努力的人之一。他的决心，以及无论如何都坚持做自己并默默付出的态度，简直令人难以置信。有时候他在赛前打五对五对抗赛已经很累了，但他依然有那种坚持到底的奉献精神。我真为他感到高兴。”
输给尼克斯对这些年轻球员来说是沉重的打击，但在第五场比赛终场哨声响起后，他们几乎立刻就准备好重整旗鼓了。
“我还有很大的成长空间，还有很多东西要学，”哈珀说，“这是我的第一年。如果没有积极的心态，你就无法继续前进。显然，我很想赢下那场比赛，但归根结底，你必须重整旗鼓、触底反弹，为明年做好准备。”
马刺迫不及待地想看看他接下来的表现。
由生成式 AI 翻译，译文内容可能不准确或不完整，以原文为准。
点击查看原文：Spurs' Dylan Harper, Carter Bryant 'grinding' in gym offseason
Spurs’ Dylan Harper, Carter Bryant ‘grinding’ in gym offseason
San Antonio Spurs’ Carter Bryant (11) embraces fellow rookie Dylan Harper (2) as they walk to the bench with veteran guard De’Aaron Fox (4) during a timeout in the fourth quarter of Game 6 of the Western Conference semifinals against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Target Center in Minneapolis, Friday, May 15, 2026. The Spurs defeated the Timberwolves 139-109 and will advance to the Western Conference Finals to face the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Dylan Harper won’t soon forget the start of Game 3 of the NBA Finals at Madison Square Garden.
“MSG was loud,” the Spurs rookie guard said afterward. “Every celebrity from New York you could think of was here. Every celebrity from around the world you could think of was here. Every actor, every old professional player was here. It was definitely something where you walk out and you’re like, ‘Yeah, we made it.’”
In the case of Harper, he made it and then some.
With three games of 24 or more points under his belt from the playoffs’ first three rounds and having survived a groin injury in the Western Conference semifinals, a strong case can be made that Harper was the Spurs’ second-best overall performer in the Finals behind Victor Wembanyama.
Undaunted by the glitz and glamour and the gallery of greats at the Garden for Game 3, Harper posted 13 points, a team-high nine rebounds and four assists in a 115-111 win that marked the Spurs’ lone victory of the series.
But the best was yet to come for Harper. He followed a 21-point, four-rebound, three-assist outing in the 107-106 loss in Game 4 with a team-high 25 points, five rebounds and four assists in the 94-90 defeat in Game 5 that gave the Knicks their first title since 1973.
The 20-year-old New Jersey native scored at least 15 points in four of his five appearances and became the first player since Magic Johnson in 1980 to post consecutive 20-point performances in the NBA Finals before turning 21.
Suffice it to say, the No. 2 overall pick of the 2025 NBA Draft didn’t just make it to the biggest stage, he dazzled on it.
“We have a star in the making,” Spurs forward Devin Vassell said.
The Spurs can’t say the same yet about their other selection from last year’s draft, No. 14 overall pick Carter Bryant. But the forward’s future is also promising.
Bryant, 20, played meaningful minutes in each game of the Finals after landing a role in coach Mitch Johnson’s rotation in December and is expected to have an even bigger role next season.
“Tremendously proud of both of them,” Vassell said.
Harper finished the Finals averaging 18.0 points (second on the team to Wembanyama’s 26.0), 6.4 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game. For the playoffs, he averaged 14.1 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.7 assists after averaging 11.8 points, 3.4 rebounds and 3.9 assists in the regular season on his way to landing a spot on the First-Team All-Rookie squad.
“We all knew he was talented, but I don’t know if anybody knew he was that talented probably besides himself,” Vassell said. “He was upset with playing time and different roles he was in. When we needed him most, he stepped up.”
If Harper was indeed “upset” with having to come off the bench, he never showed it publicly. Throughout the season, he always stressed he was thrilled to be with the Spurs.
“I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else,” Harper said. “This is where I’m supposed to be.”
But with Harper playing so well in the Finals, some observers believe it will be difficult for him to play behind De’Aaron Fox next season. Hampered by a sore ankle left over from the second round, the All-Star guard had a subpar series against the Knicks and made questionable decisions late in Game 4 that helped seal the Spurs’ fate.
For now one thing is certain, Harper will enter the offseason determined to be even better next season.
“That’s what got me here more than anything, me just grinding, grinding, grinding,” Harper said.
The same will be true of Bryant after he averaged 8.5 minutes, 2.6 points and 1.7 rebounds in the playoffs and 11.5 minutes, 4.2 points and 2.5 rebounds in the regular season.
“Tremendously proud of both of them, starting with Carter, him not getting minutes at the beginning of the season, to going to the G League, to
coming out here (in the playoffs) and changing games and making the impact, just trusting the process,” Vassell said. “He’s going to be a special player. I know how hard he works. He’s going to be a really good defensive player, offensive player, a really good two-way player.”
From his first days with the team, Bryant has been following advice he received from Johnson and Spurs coaching legend Gregg Popovich.
“Coach Mitch and coach Pop always talk about the basketball gods, understanding if you just do the right stuff and you put your effort into the right thing, the game’s going to return it to you,” Bryant said.
That pound the rock approach helped him gradually improve his 3-point shooting, ability to finish at the rim and his defense.
Bryant’s progress came as no surprise to Harper.
“I’ve known him since freshman, sophomore year of high school,” Harper said. “He’s one of the hardest workers I know. It’s unbelievable, his determination, his willingness to just be himself while also putting in the work no matter what. There’s days where he’s playing five-on-five before the game and he’s tired, but he has that kind of dedication to push through. I was so happy for him.”
Losing to the Knicks was tough for the youngsters, but they were almost immediately ready to get back at it after the final buzzer sounded in Game 5.
“I’ve got a whole lot to grow on, a whole lot to learn on,” Harper said. "It’s my first year. You can’t keep moving forward without a positive attitude. Obviously, I wanted to win that, but at the end of the day, you got to regroup and bounce back and get ready for next year.”
The Spurs can’t wait to see what he does next.
By Tom Orsborn, Staff Writer, via San Antonio Express-News